AFL preseason tournament signals the start of footy season with new rules and new format

Love it or loathe it, the AFL's preseason competition is set to get underway yet again, this time with a new format designed to nurse teams into the premiership season.

In place of the tri-series format that has featured in recent years, 18 matches will be played over 18 days with all teams playing two full-length matches each, with a minimum six-day break between each game.

Preseason fixtures

February 12: Geelong v Collingwood, Kardinia Park

February 13: Hawthorn v Brisbane, Docklands Stadium

February 14: Richmond v Melbourne, Docklands Stadium

February 15: North Melbourne v Carlton, North Ballarat

February 16: Adelaide v Port Adelaide, Richmond Oval

February 17: Gold Coast v Essendon, Carrara Stadium

February 18: Fremantle v West Coast, Joondalup

February 19: Western Bulldogs v St Kilda, Kardinia Park

February 20: GWS v Sydney, Manuka Oval

February 21: Hawthorn v North Melbourne, York Park

February 22: Collingwood v Richmond, Wangaratta

February 23: Brisbane v Gold Coast, Townsville

February 24: Carlton v Adelaide, Docklands Stadium

February 25: Essendon v Port Adelaide, Docklands Stadium

February 26: Western Bulldogs v Fremantle, Docklands Stadium

February 27: Sydney v West Coast, Blacktown International Sportspark

February 28: Melbourne v Geelong, Alice Springs

March 1: GWS v St Kilda, Wagga Wagga

The competition will also take AFL clubs to a number of rural venues, with grounds in Joondalup, Ballarat, Wangaratta, Townsville and Alice Springs all hosting matches throughout the tournament.

Nine-point 'supergoals' for majors kicked from beyond 50 are back again, while several new rules make their AFL debut, including a relaxed interchange cap of 130 to help prepare clubs for the drop to 120 interchanges in the regular season.

As no official winner will be declared, the usual night grand final will not be contested, and there will be no Michael Tuck Medal for best on field.

The preseason competition can seldom be used as a crystal ball for regular season success, as Brisbane's 2013 and Carlton's 2005 prove, however there are notable exceptions to that rule.

In 2012, Adelaide started its meteoric rise to the preliminary finals with a preseason premiership, while Geelong became only the fifth team to complete the day and night flag double in 2009.

So what should you be on the look out for during this season's curtain-raising festival of football?

Firstly, a number of clubs are entering the 2014 season under new management, and these trial matches give the established players time to learn the new coach's methods and give the fringe players a chance to impress.

A close eye will be kept on Melbourne as pundits try to spot the first examples of Paul Roos' influence on the struggling club, while West Coast is hoping to bounce back into the September reckoning under Adam Simpson.

The preseason generally gives fans a glimpse of the future also, and the 2013 draft class will get their first opportunity to impress on a wider national stage.

Keep an eye out for Gold Coast's Jack Martin, whose potential has development experts all over the country in raptures, while key forward prodigies Jesse Hogan of Melbourne and Tom Boyd of GWS should get a chance.

Lastly, footy fans should be excited because if nothing else, it means the 2014 season is just around the corner, and after a long summer of brilliant cricket and tennis in Australia, the sight of your team taking the field should be enough to get you dreaming of what might be this year.

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